


Witches and Wizards Unknown

by KrystalMoon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 08:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13760625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrystalMoon/pseuds/KrystalMoon
Summary: True friendship is often quite powerful that it can leave a very strong impression on someone for the rest of their life. Even if you can no longer speak to them. Join Katie Black, Severus Snape, and Lily Evans as they take on the trials that are ahead, and grow together.





	Witches and Wizards Unknown

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfiction in a very long time that I've been so excited and passionate about. I hope you enjoy this work!

Night had fallen over Spinner’s End, the huge column of smoke produced by the mill which loomed above Cokeworth like a middle-finger to the residents within. A small reminder of their poverty every time one wished to look for stars.

A blond girl, no more than eleven years old, sat staring at an approaching storm from underneath the branches of an overlarge tree near to an empty, dirty playground, the taste of ozone in the air. The night air had a chill to it, despite being warm, that caused her to shiver involuntarily.

Clear, icy-blue eyes observed the dark clouds with a small level of satisfaction. Maybe even longing. Katie Black was not just an ordinary girl. No. She was a witch destined to join her fellow witches and wizards her age at Hogwarts later that year.

A boy approached sulkily, sitting roughly beside her looking contrastingly miserable to her determination. His clothing was mismatched. His jeans highwater showing off scrawny ankles, an overlarge smock that went to his mid-thigh, and a jacket large enough to be a full-grown man’s. His long, unkept black hair was messy, bits of it plastered to his cheeks which he brushed away angrily.

“Severus,” Katie greeted, not turning to look at him. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“Shouldn’t you?” His voice was indignant yet choked back from apparently crying for a good while. The fair-haired girl finally turned to glance at him, a crease developing on her brow.

“You shouldn’t let them get to you, Sev,” she said softly, barely over a whisper.

“Awfully hard to do when your father throws brandy at you,” he responded coldly, glaring at her fiercely with black eyes as though she was to blame for his torment. He hiccupped and dropped his gaze embarrassingly. The girl reached over and touched the back of his hand with the tips of her fingers, looking at him sadly. He moved as if he were going to pull his hand away, but then decided against it.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

The two sat in silence for a moment, as if time had frozen. But a rumbling of thunder made it apparent it had not. Katie removed her hand to sit against the tree, hugging her knees to her chest. After a second of apparent deliberation, Severus scooted closer to her. The stench of brandy interrupted the smell of the storm, and the girl peered at him out of the corner of her eye. She opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it, the air creating another shiver. The boy shrugged off his Jacket off one arm and held it open. She gently pulled herself closer to him with a blush, and they both wrapped themselves up in the huge jacket.

“Are you excited?” the girl asked, leaning her head against his. A matching tinge of red brushed his cheeks.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” Severus admitted after a moment of deliberation. “Mum still needs to take me to get my school things.” The way he said it made it sound as though he was having trouble with the thought of going anywhere with his mother.

“Mine, too.” A moment of silence passed between them. “I could ask my dad to take us both, if you’d like?”

“He wouldn’t mind?”

“He’s practically adopted you already.” The girl grinned over at him, lifting her head to peer at him humorously, her blue eyes glittering. Her proximity and direct gaze seemed to cause him to blush a deeper shade of pinkish-red as he stared at the storm which was now overhead.

“We should probably go inside now.”

“Sev?” The girl moved to get up, leaning forward away from his jacket, but froze as a thought struck her. “Do you think your parents would mind if you come spend the night?” The boy stared at her for a moment, contemplating. When he didn’t answer immediately, Katie stood up and turned smoothly to look down at him, hands on her hips. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. But I just thought you could use a break.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Severus? Katie? You’re soaked!”

Her father was a handsome man with long black hair pulled into a loose ponytail. If it weren’t for his eyes, which were the same large, clear, ice-blue as Katie, you’d think they weren’t related at all. While his face was quite angular and square-ish, Katie’s narrow jaw and widow’s peak gave her a long heart-shaped face. Something she had likely inherited from her mother.

Severus had been to her home before on many occasions. But he found himself looking around longingly, wishing this cheerfully decorated home could be his own. Guilt washed over his features as he looked at the gold speckled black carpet he was dripping on.

“You can catch a cold playing in the rain like that,” her father scolded, worry creasing his forehead. “Both of you.” He turned to Severus and peered at him with cheerful interest. “Are you staying over again? I have extra hot chocolate if you are. I’m about to make some. If you need to wash up, feel free to use our bath. There are extra clothes for you in the wardrobe in the hallway upstairs if you need them. Towels should be in the bathroom. And an extra toothbrush, too.

“What do you feel like for dinner?”

Katie grinned and shook her head at her dad behind his back while she ran off to her room. Severus frowned for a second, contemplating.

“Anything, really, Mr. Black.”

“Really, Severus. You can call me Al. I’ll make us a stew, then.” The man nodded and smiled kindly at the young boy, gesturing in welcome.

The night was in many ways very relaxing thanks to Katie’s father. He had set the fire to blaze as soon as temperatures had dropped considerably. And a hot bath did wonders. Severus made use of one of Al’s magical soaps and enjoyed all extended hospitalities. His hair still wet, sticking to his thin cheeks, he sipped on some fresh hot cocoa which seemed to fill his chest with happiness as he sat next to Katie on the couch nearby the fire. Finished bowls lay stacked upon the coffee table that Al had his feet resting upon as he contemplated _the Daily Prophet_ with intense interest through a pair of readers.

“Dad?” Katie broke the comfortable silence, turning to face her father who peered at her overtop his glasses, his intense expression unchanged. “If Sev’s mum doesn’t mind, could you take us both to Diagon Alley to get our school things?”

“I don’t see why not,” he said softly, smiling at them both. “I’ll speak to Eileen tomorrow morning.”

The next morning, in fact, Eileen seemed almost relieved at the idea, and curtly had replied with a “sure, whatever” before shutting the door in their faces. Al stared at the door with an almost incomprehensible expression that seemed to mingle between disgust and bewilderment before regaining his composure to lead the children off. Katie thought she heard her dad mutter something like “negligent” and “disturbingly incompetent parenting” as they walked off.

He quietly, though kindly, dismissed Severus and Katie off to “go play” while he prepared for their trip, which he decided would be better tomorrow.

Katie scowled at her dad’s use of wording, believing herself to be too old to be told to “go play,” but otherwise seemed rather eager to do so. Severus had to jog to keep up with her.

A familiar red-headed girl was already waiting for them at the base of their favorite tree.

“Lily!” Katie called out, breaking out into a sprint. But as she got closer to see her face, she slowed down, her smile fading quickly. “Lily?”

The fire-haired girl their age had looked over, her almond-shaped green eyes brimming over with angry tears.

“Oh, hey Katie… Sev.” She wiped her face with her sleeves impatiently.

“What’s wrong?” Severus had caught up and dropped to kneel in front of Lily, staring at her in a combination of dread and anticipation.

“I-it’s… Don’t worry about it.”

“It’s that muggle sister of yours isn’t it?” he glowered.

“Ye-I said don’t worry about it!” She hid her face in her hands in frustration. “She just doesn’t get it. She doesn’t get me. She’s never understood-I don’t know what to- It’s like she can’t even- I just… “ She trailed off and shook her head angrily, her red wavy hair bouncing around her shoulders.

“Have you gone and got your stuff already, Lily?” Katie asked softly, wanting to change the subject. Lily looked up from her hands and stared at Katie as if she had forgotten she was there and was startled.

“I-… Yes. We went with this old man named Dumbledore.”

Katie looked at her oddly, confused. Severus looked from Lily to Katie and stood up.

“Muggle-borns don’t get their letter to Hogwarts by owl. Usually, they have someone from the school come by to talk to them. Explain how things work and about the wizarding world.”

“How-?” Katie broke off and shut her mouth, tilting her head slightly to the side, blinking in confusion.

“I read about it.”

Katie looked down at the grass, remembering then that Severus hardly had anything at home to preoccupy him except for the multitude of books that the family owned.

Silence befell the trio before Katie and Severus both sat by Lily.

“Did you get a pet?” Katie wondered, looking up at the cloudy, grim canvas that swept across the sky.

“Not yet. I wanted to get a cat, but Dad said we couldn’t afford it.”

“There’s always next year,” Katie mused quietly. “I’m probably going to get an owl.”

All three of them fell silent for a long time. Katie was in the middle of contemplating if the gloomy weather was going to start raining again, like the previous night, when Severus made an impatient noise and stood up suddenly.

“I’ve been thinking,” he announced, crossing his arms across his chest, turning to face Lily and Katie. “We should make a club. Just us three. We’re going to be friends forever, after all.” He sounded so sure of himself until he dropped his gaze, his demeanor completely changing into insecurity. “Aren’t we?”

“Of course, we will,” Lily said brightly, a beaming grin lighting up her face. “Sev, that’s a great idea.”

“What are we going to call ourselves?” Katie mused. She pulled up a blade of grass and examining it closely as if it would give her the answers she sought. Lily frowned slightly, tapping her jaw as she contemplated. Severus seemed crestfallen that he didn’t already have an idea for a name.

Katie looked up at the both of them, a grin spreading across her face.

“What about ‘Witches and Wizards Unknown?’”


End file.
